Haunting Guitar for Spanish Dracula

“Soy Drácula.” Fans of 1931’s Dracula have no doubt seen Bela Lugosi utter his foreboding words through his fangs many times, but even horror aficionados may not be aware of Drácula. Similar plot: Conde Dracula (Carlos Villarías) flaps around Transylvania and London wreaking havoc on unsuspecting solicitor Renfield (Pablo Álvarez Rubio) and comely doctor’s daughter Eva (Lupita Tovar) before he’s staked through the heart. Filmed by a non-Spanish-speaking director the same year, and on the same Universal set, as the Tod Browning version and aimed at a Latin audience, the movie was rediscovered and restored in the 1970s. Since 2009, world-class guitarist Gary Lucas has played a live (and mostly improvised) score to the scoreless film — often to sold-out venues around the world. He’s performed a similar score for the 1920 German silent movie The Golem. You may know of the Grammy-nominated guitarist and songwriter, who co-managed and collaborated with Captain Beefheart in the 1980s and worked with Leonard Bernstein, Nick Cave and Lou Reed. Lucas’ New York band Gods and Monsters included then–little-known Jeff Buckley, with whom Lucas co-wrote a few songs on the late singer’s only studio album, 1994’s classic Grace. Lucas premiered the Drácula live soundtrack in Havana, and has even taken the show to just outside a castle in Transylvania. Cue the howling children of the night.
Tue., July 30, 7:30 p.m., 2013